The Crucible Centre

The Lifelong Health and Wellbeing Programme is a cross-council initiative to strengthen multidisciplinary and collaborative research in ageing. In phase one of the programme three new ‘lifelong health’ research centres were announced in 2008, funded by the Medical Research Council, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the Economic and Social Research Council. The centres will carry out research on healthy ageing, targeting the major determinants of health and wellbeing over the whole life course and reducing dependency in later life. The initiative will provide substantial long-term funding for the new centres. Each will have specific research themes, drawing on the interdisciplinary strengths of the research councils, such as quality of life, physical frailty and the ageing brain.

The Crucible Centre will inspire researchers across UCL to integrate the search for longevity with the aspiration to improve levels of wellbeing. The Centre will challenge discipline boundaries, combining the knowledge and experience of UCLs scientists and academics and end users to engage in research leading to a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of the ageing process from philosophy, through biology, economics, clinical practice to design of the built environment.

HHMI is a science philanthropy whose mission is to advance biomedical research and science education for the benefit of humanity. We empower exceptional scientists and students to pursue fundamental questions about living systems. Headquartered in Chevy Chase, MD, HHMI employs more than 3,000 individuals across the United States. In fiscal year 2012, HHMI invested $695 million in U.S. research and provided $78 million in grants and other support for science education.

The J. Craig Venter Institute was formed in October 2006 through the merger of several affiliated and legacy organizations — The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) and The Center for the Advancement of Genomics (TCAG), The J. Craig Venter Science Foundation, The Joint Technology Center, and the Institute for Biological Energy Alternatives (IBEA). Today all these organizations have become one large multidisciplinary genomic-focused organization. With more than 300 scientists and staff, more than 250,000 square feet of laboratory space, and locations in Rockville, Maryland and San Diego, California, the new JCVI is a world leader in genomic research.

Affiliated with Université de Montréal, the MHI is the flagship of cardiovascular medicine in Quebec, a recognized research leader in Canada and around the world, and a true spearhead in cutting-edge cardiovascular medicine.

One of the features that make the Research Centre stand out is the balance and strong synergy between clinical and basic research. This strength, which dates back to the founding of the MHI, not only sets the MHI and its Research Centre apart, it has also historically been the foundation and vehicle for the timely, organized and professional translation of discoveries into medical practice for the great benefit of patients at the MHI and around the world.

The General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) at LA BioMed has been continuously funded since 1968 and supports the multidisciplinary research of a large cadre of well-funded and productive investigators. Their publication rate is one of the highest among GCRCs nationwide. In 2002, the outpatient clinical research unit opened an additional 5,500 square feet for research, with an adjoining 2,000-square-foot conference room for research education-related activities. Several Harbor-UCLA research centers have their administrative home at LA BioMed, creating an expanded support base for promoting clinical and translational research. Current centers include the Emerging Infection Center, Perinatal Research Center, Cancer Prevention Clinical Trials Center, Liu Center for Pulmonary Hypertension Research, Rehabilitation Clinical Trials Center, CT Reading Center, HIV Medicine Research Center, UCLA Center for Vaccine Research, and Male Reproductive Center, which is a World Health Organization-collaborating Center for Research in Reproduction and a National Institute of Child Health and Human Development-funded Contraceptive Clinical Trial Network Center (male area).

The total clinical research space available at LA BioMed is 25,000 square feet. The institute recently acquired major equipment (e.g., real-time PCR, laser capture microdissector, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry [LS-MSMS], matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-off light [MALDI-TOF] mass spectrometer) for scientific and technical support of LA BioMed investigators. Since 1998, LA BioMed, in partnership with California State University Dominguez Hills, has trained underrepresented students in biomedical research. These National Institute of General Medical Sciences-funded programs pair underrepresented undergraduate and master’s-level students in biology with well-funded mentors at Harbor-LA BioMed. Many of these students have since applied and been admitted to PhD programs throughout the country.

Since its founding in 1947, Dana-Farber has been committed to providing adults and children with cancer with the best treatment available today while developing tomorrow’s cures through cutting-edge research. Read about our history, our breakthroughs, and the resources that help us support the health of our neighborhoods and communities.

Our research at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute builds understanding of gene function in health and disease as well as creating resources of lasting value to biomedical research.

We study diseases that have an impact on health globally by investigating genomes. Building on our past achievements and based on priorities that exploit the unique expertise of our Faculty of researchers, we will lead global efforts to understand the biology of genomes. We are convinced of the importance of making this research available and accessible for all audiences.

The Eli and Edythe L. Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT is founded on two core beliefs:

This generation has a historic opportunity and responsibility to transform medicine by using systematic approaches in the biological sciences to dramatically accelerate the understanding and treatment of disease.

To fulfill this mission, we need new kinds of research institutions, with a deeply collaborative spirit across disciplines and organizations, and having the capacity to tackle ambitious challenges.

Whitehead Institute is a world-renowned non-profit research institution dedicated to improving human health through basic biomedical research. By cultivating a deeply collaborative culture and enabling the pursuit of bold, creative inquiry, Whitehead fosters paradigm-shifting scientific achievement. For more than 30 years, Whitehead faculty have delivered breakthroughs that have transformed our understanding of biology and accelerated development of therapies for such diseases as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, diabetes, and certain cancers.

The mission of The George Institute for Global Health is to improve the health of millions of people worldwide. With projects in more than 50 countries, we have raised a quarter of a billion dollars for global health research in the last decade and we have been ranked among the top 10 research institutions in the world for scientific impact by the SCImago Institution Rankings World Report in 2011 – 2013.

The Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute is a $153 million medical research centre that officially opened in April 2009. It is based at the Monash University Clayton campus.

Established through a joint venture between Monash University and the Victorian Government, ARMI builds on the University’s existing strengths in biomedical research and supports the critical infrastructure required to deliver the next generation of discoveries in regenerative medicine.

At full capacity ARMI will be one of the world’s largest regenerative medicine and stem cell research centres. Its scientists focus on unraveling the basic mechanisms of the regenerative process, aiming to eventually enable doctors to prevent, halt and reverse damage to vital organs due to disease, injury or genetic conditions.

This work will form the basis of treatments for conditions such as neurodegenerative disorders, diabetes, arthritis, musculo-skeletal and cardiovascular diseases.

The Center of Molecular Immunology (CIM) is a Cuban biotechnology institution devoted to basic research, development and manufacturing of products from mammalian cell culture according to the regulations of the current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP).

CIM is a high technology company which is part of the Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Industries Organization, BIOCUBAFARMA.

CIM have a wide experience in the field of monoclonal antibodies, in which has been working since 1980.

The year 2013 began with 1.127 workers and four plants for biological products, EPOVAC for the manufacturing of recombinant proteins, ANTYTER for the production of recombinant monoclonal antibodies, LABEX for manufacturing biological reagents for in vitro use and Pharmaceutical Biotech Co. Ltd (BPL), a high-tech Chinese-Cuban joint venture, located in the Economic Technological Development Area in Beijing, dedicated to the production of monoclonal antibodies.

CIM´s mission is research, development; scale up manufacturing and marketing of biopharmaceuticals, domestically and internationally, especially monoclonal antibodies and other recombinant proteins for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other immune system-related diseases and the negotiation of intangibles in Cuba and abroad.

It´s vision is to achieve global impact in the treatment of cancer and other chronic non-transmissible diseases with innovative products; developing a sustainable export growth, accessing the markets of industrialized countries. To become a leading international biotechnology company developing a corporate culture based on excellence, innovation, diversification, and dedication to work.

The Cork Cancer Research Centre acts as a foundation upon which inter-disciplinary research programmes are built. We have initiated, and continue to encourage, the interaction of scientists and clinicians with complementary skills.

Reaping the rewards of these collaborations, our co-operative efforts have made significantly more progress than was thought possible at our launch in 1999.

Our objective is to build upon this impetus. Meaningful contribution to the development of novel anti-cancer treatments continues to be our ambition and it is important that the direction of our research remains applied. Thus we will not become emotionally removed from those afflicted by cancer and ensure it is the patients and families who will benefit from our research endeavours.

The Institute of Cancer Research, London, is one of the world’s most influential cancer research institutes, with an outstanding record of achievement dating back more than 100 years. Scientists and clinicians at the ICR are working every day to make a real impact on cancer patients’ lives.

Today, we are ranked as the UK’s leading academic research centre, and lead the world at isolating cancer-related genes and discovering new targeted cancer drugs. The ICR’s unique partnership with The Royal Marsden and ‘bench-to-bedside’ approach allows us to create and deliver results in a way that other institutions cannot. Together the two organisations are rated in the top four cancer centres globally.

As a college of the University of London, the ICR also provides postgraduate higher education of international distinction. It has charitable status and relies on support from partner organisations, charities and the general public.

The Brain Research Imaging Centre, Edinburgh uses a variety of MRI imaging techniques to study common medical problems.

Since 1998 BRIC has developed helpful documents and software. These include quantitative image reading templates and forms; quantitative computational analysis methods, data anonomising tools as well as useful instructions on how to use software programmes and write papers.

In July 2010 BRIC was instrumental in arranging an ethical debate on research imaging management of incidental findings. A symposium took place at the Wellcome Trust in London; the aim of this symposium was to bring together the stakeholders in research imaging management, including a range of professionals from research imaging centres, professional organisations whose members use imaging in research, ethicists, research funders and regulatory bodies. The meeting discussed and highlighted the magnitude and potential implications of incidental findings. It provided information concerning good practice in managing incidental findings in research imaging of both “normal” volunteers and patients, consequently highlighting issues related to ethics. The meeting enabled current opinions to be summarised on concerns and practical aspects of managing incidental findings.

Following this symposium new guidlines have been established to encourage best imaging research practice in the UK, within practical limitations, to facilitate future imaging research. This report “Management of Incidental Findings Detected During Research Imaging”, was prepared by representatives of Research Imaging Centres, Professional Societies, Regulatory Bodies, Funding Organisations, Royal Colleges involved in reserach imaging and Patient Organisations, in the United Kingdom.

-Identify key areas of opportunity for developing novel public health interventions that equitably address major health problems in Scotland, and move those forward.

-Foster collaboration between government, researchers and the public health community in Scotland to develop a national programme of intervention development, large-scale implementation and robust evaluation.

-Build capacity within the public health community for collaborative research of the highest quality, with maximum impact on Scottish policies, programs and practice.

Many of the most important current advances in science take place at the interfaces between traditional disciplines and frequently use large central facilities. RCaH provides the environment and facilities for researchers in the life and physical sciences to undertake research across such traditional barriers, and encourage synergy between these areas of UK research excellence. It is especially targeted at researchers who will be conducting work at Diamond and ISIS, and other shared facilities on the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) site, both on a long and short-term basis

The MRC/UVRI Research Unit on AIDS in Uganda is based at the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI). It was established following a request in 1988 from the Ugandan Government to the British Government for assistance regarding the research and the control of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection and AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).

The unit is situated on the shores of Lake Victoria in Entebbe, and has three field stations in Masaka and Jinja district. It is multidisciplinary, which reflects the wide-ranging nature of the problems caused by HIV. The primary focus of the programme is to investigate, within a broad framework, HIV infection related issues of public health relevance to Uganda and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Activities range from virology and immunology to social science, clinical studies and intervention trials, all underpinned by a strong epidemiological and statistical base, the necessary administrative and laboratory support services and a community development section. Research activities of the unit currently comprise five main areas: an observational studies programme to investigate the epidemiology, the clinical characteristics and the determinants of the epidemic in the presence of care; an intervention research programme to identify and evaluate interventions that are expected to reduce HIV transmission; a research programme to develop and evaluate interventions aiming to reduce disease progression; a social science programme to study the behavioural aspects of prevention and care and the social consequences of the epidemic; and a basic science programme focussing on research to support the development of vaccines and to explore issues around the appearance of viral resistance against anti-retroviral drugs. The unit is mainly funded by the MRC and the Department for International Development, but various activities are supported by the Wellcome Trust, the European Commission, the US Centres for Disease Control and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative. The unit collaborates with universities and partner institutions throughout Uganda, sub-Saharan Africa, the United Kingdom and with academic institutions in Europe and the US.

CTSU is part of the Nuffield Department of Population Health, a major section within the Medical Sciences Division of Oxford University, which conducts internationally renowned research into medical treatments and the factors affecting population health worldwide, with a history of high-impact results.
The CTSU’s work chiefly involves studies of the causes and treatment of “chronic” diseases such as cancer, heart attack or stroke (which, collectively, account for most adult deaths worldwide), although it does also involve some studies of other major conditions in developed and developing countries.

Large-scale randomised and observational evidence is needed to investigate appropriately reliably the causes, prevention and treatment of premature death and disability in developed and developing countries. The CTSU experience shows that such studies can be practicable and relatively inexpensive if sufficient attention is paid to the details of study design.

Such large-scale research does require widespread collaboration, so although around 250 people currently work in the Richard Doll Building at Oxford (including those responsible for statistical and clinical direction, computing, laboratory work, and administrative support), hundreds of others work full- or part-time on CTSU studies outside Oxford. We receive core funding from the BHF, CR-UK and the MRC.

Gray Institute for Radiation Oncology and Biology is both a world class research centre for radiobiology and the leading facility in exploring the translational possibilities of this exciting field.
The Institute brings together researchers from around the world to the University of Oxford, into this newly created initiative within the Medical Sciences Division based at the Old Road Campus Research Building, Churchill Hospital, Oxford. Directed by Professor Gillies McKenna, the Institute is collaboratively supported by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and Cancer Research UK (CRUK).

The Institute further benefits from adjacencies to other research laboratories including the CR-UK funded Epidemiology Unit in the Richard Doll Building, the CR-UK funded Medical Oncology Unit at the Churchill Hospital, and the multidisciplinary Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine These, in addition to strong links with the Weatherall Institute for Molecular Medicine , Nuffield Department of Clinical laboratory Sciences and other departments within the University of Oxford, will provide an outstanding research and training environment for Radiation Oncology and Biology. With these considerable advantages ROB is already the premier Radiation Oncology and Biology research facility in the world.

We are particularly interested in working on ways to improve the ‘therapeutic ratio’ in radiation treatment. This ratio is the response of the tumour under radiation, to the damage to the normal tissues caused by radiation. It is decisive for how helpful radiation can be in treating tumours. We will focus on three areas of research, which have been identified by Professor McKenna as particularly ripe for clinical exploitation.

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